Ok, you know the drill. I don't own Sonic Characters. I do own these:
Esperanza, Blacky, Alex, Kimi, Koko, Steven, Daisy, Smokey, Carrie, Hilary, Jessica, Annie, Meko, Melly, Tom, Bethany, Elizabath (friend's request on the spelling), Emily, Sarah, Destani, Leffin, Ragini, Roangi, Sheikai, Dreama, Draconic, Flameshine, Desitria, Nightmare, Autumn, blah blah blah...
I HAVE GOTTEN TWO REVIEWS!!!!ï C'mon, people! It's not that hard! I'll make brownies? Please? :) (It's a bird one way, a guy in a triangle hat the other)
Ch.7
Good Night
Esperanza was by far the last one to get to sleep that night. She kept getting this weird feeling that something wasn't right. And, weirder still, she felt very unsafe near the Alpha Male and the other head wolves. Especially Autumn. She didn't know why.
"Can't sleep?" Esperanza jumped at the sound of Autumn's voice. "No, not really." She sighed. She wished someone else was awake; being semi alone with the Alpha Male seemed... disrespectful. And it gave her the creeps. Autumn smiled at her sympathetically. "I know the feeling." He said, walking over and lying down next to her so that they could hear each other at a whisper. It sent shivers up Esperanza's spine for some unknown reason.
"I guess you can't either?" she asked after a pause. He sighed. "I never can on nights like this." He answered, looking outside. It was raining hard, and lightning danced across the sky. "It brings up sad memories." Esperanza gave him a puzzled look, and asked, "Like what?" And those beautiful golden red eyes stared into hers sadly. Esperanza regretted asking. Making him sad pulled at her heartstrings.
"Well... did you notice we have no Alpha Female?" he asked, his voice steady and near emotionless. Esperanza gave a feeble nod. He sighed, and continued. "She died a night like this one. In childbirth, mothering my first litter." He sighed, and blinked away some tears, invisible in the dark. "She asked that only I watch. She wasn't too comfortable in such a ranking position yet, and I wanted her comfortable, so I agreed. But... I shouldn't have. She'd be alive if some of the more experienced wolves helped out, but I had to have things her way, and she died!" The sad eyes looked down, seeming misty. Esperanza, feeling sorry for him, looked up, and nuzzled him gently, as her mother had done for when she felt sad.
He looked down at her sadly, and shifted his position, so he was on his stomach. Noticing that she was getting tired, he pushed her gently with his muzzle, so that her back was leaning against his side. Her weary red eyes looked into his golden ones, and she asked, "Why are you being so nice?"
He smiled at her. "You're my guest. And you're the only one awake." Then, his eyes showed a strange sort of bitter sweetness. "And... you look like her..." he sighed. "Sorry, but it's true. And... you act like her, to some extent. It's rare to find someone with your... charms, I guess..." he laid his head down across her neck, and she could feel his warm breath across her face. It was very strange... "Maria?" he asked, and it took a few moments for Esperanza to register in her weariness that this was her fake name. "Would you... consider, you know... staying here... with me? Just think about it," he added quickly, trying to calm her as her muscles tightened a bit.
Esperanza's mind was spinning. Stay here? But, what about Blacky? And Jessica, and all the others? And she couldn't leave the sisters. But... somehow, she felt he really wanted her there, and some strange part of her was trying to ask her what harm could it do? They didn't need her anyway with their large group...
But then Snowy's words came into her mind. "Hespiany seisfeuo! Hespiany seisfeuo!" and it chanted in her head, the flowing, soft language that the little toddler had so desperately screeched. Somehow, it woke her slightly... and helped her realize that something definitely wasn't right...
She looked up at Autumn, and tried to push him away gently. "Sorry," she said hastily, trying to get up. "This isn't very comfortable..." However, she couldn't get up; he wouldn't let her.
And, suddenly, he was on top of her, his front paws digging into her shoulders. Too scared to move, she just stared up at him, frightened. "You will stay, Maria." He said, his voice deadly, a low growling detectable. She knew she should've screamed, but her vice was lost; no one would help her.
She struggled, her ten tails flailing behind her frantically, her other limbs trying to break free of his deathly grip. The golden eyes that had once seemed so sad and loving were now cold and cruel, his teeth bared in a threatening way. And there was nothing she could do...
It happened so suddenly. Autumn was on his side next to her, and Jessica was standing over them, her blue eyes blazing in anger. She walked over to Autumn, who looked up at her, his teeth bared. However, Jessica would not back down. If possible, though she was years younger, the gold fox looked more threatening that the alpha male could ever be. Her eyes flashed as she kicked at the wolf.
"I never want to see you threaten a fox again. Not while I'm the Chief's daughter." She said, her voice full of controlled anger and hatred.
She kicked him again, and he growled slightly, but lay there, either out of fear or out of respect. Esperanza hadn't realized before then how much responsibility Jessica had for watching over the foxes, including her, Blacky, Smokey, and even Tails, Snowy, Bethany, and Elizabath. She'd never really showed an interest in her position before now...
A golden hand stretched out in front of her brought Esperanza to the present. She looked up, and saw those same blue eyes, showing pity for her through the anger, looking into her own scared ruby ones. Gently, she took the offered help, and was on her feet in a few seconds.
"Are you alright?" Jessica asked, looking her up and down for any injuries. Esperanza looked down. "I'll be fine," she whispered. Jessica gave her a worried look. "Did he do anything to you? Are you sure you'll be alright?" Esperanza only vaguely realized how weird it was for Jessica to be paying attention to her. "Nothing. He told me about the old alpha female, and how she died, and... he wanted me to stay here, but I didn't want to..." Esperanza shuddered. Jessica seemed angry. "What did he tell you about her?" Esperanza, surprised, replied. "That she died in childbirth." Jessica scowled. "That's not true. He killed her after she bore. That's why he had her request it was him alone that saw."
Putting her arm around Esperanza's shoulders, Jessica walked up to where Blacky lay, and kicked him lightly. Yawning, the small fox looked up. "We're going. Now. Wake everyone up." Jessica said, and blacky silently nodded, though he was plainly confused.
Jessica led Esperanza out before everyone was awake, where Emily and Sarah, holding Snowy, waited. Snowy seemed relieved when she saw her mommy and Esperanza come out safe.
Esperanza looked up at Jessica. "How'd you know—" "Snowy." Jessica cut her off. "She explained what 'Hespiany seisfeuo' means. 'Deceitful murderer'." She sighed. "Somehow, I felt I knew who she meant." Esperanza stared at her. "The reason I didn't agree to him was because I remembered what Snowy was yelling." Esperanza admitted. Both teens looked at Snowy.
"I trya warn you." She smiled, shrugging. "Mommy an lady ok?" she asked. Jessica smiled. "Yes, and we're leaving."
Once everyone was outside, they set out, bringing Emily and Sarah with them. They were out of Autumn's territory only just before the dawn settled in.